As part of the ceremonies, the Crown of Scotland will be moved from the castle to St Giles’ Cathedral today. The crown will be placed on Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin by Alexander Douglas-Hamilton, 16th Duke of Hamilton. In 1540, James V commissioned Edinburgh goldsmith John Mosman to remodel the existing crown which is the Crown of Scotland that we can see today. Made of gold, silver and precious gems, the Crown of Scotland is the centrepiece of the Honours of Scotland – Scotland’s Crown jewels – on display at the Crown Room at the castle. 22 gemstones and 20 precious stones were taken from the previous crown and freshwater pearls from Scotland’s rivers were used. The crown weighs 1.64kg. The crown was first used by James V at the coronation of Queen Mary of Guise in 1540. The Honours of Scotland are the oldest Crown jewels in Britain and among the oldest in Europe. Historically, the Crown of Scotland was used in ceremonies to represent the sovereign's presence and the Royal Assent to legislation. Its presence is symbolic and it will be taken to St Giles’ Cathedral, where it will be present during the lying-in rest period, after which it will be returned to display for visitors to see at Edinburgh Castle.